Environmental News

Environmental News from the Great Lakes Region

Sin City may look like a lush water-waster as the state endures its fourth year of a severe drought, but casino-resorts say their fountains and greenery are well-crafted illusions. Source: Houston Chronicle, 7/20/15

The National Park Service thought it had a good strategy for reining in the discarded water bottles that clog the trash cans and waste stream of the national parks: stop selling disposable bottles and let visitors refill reusable ones with public drinking water. But Big Water has stepped in to block the parks from banning the plastic pollutants -- and the industry found an ally on Capitol Hill to add a little-noticed amendment to a House spending bill that would kill the policy. Source: Washington Post, 7/13/15

Recycling programs might seem ordinary today, but it wasn't long ago that the vast majority of households sent 100 percent of their waste to landfills. These days, the most ambitious cities are adding "zero-waste" goals to a growing list of "green" policies. Will any of them truly arrive at a future without trash? If the past is any guide, the best ideas for how to get there will be the result of years of testing and tinkering. Source: CityLab, 7/20/15

Mold maker and manufacturer VistaTek LLC created an independent company, SelfEco, which specializes in food service items. SelfEco products are made with polylactic acid supplied by NatureWorks LLC. The company will introduce a new line of home and garden products this month at Cultivate'15, a horticulture show in Columbus, Ohio. Source: Plastics News, 7/10/15

From material sourcing and production to recovery and recycling, stakeholders in the electronics space embraced the concept of a circular economy years before it was fashionable. Source: Triple Pundit, 7/14/15

It's sometimes hard to understand how fighting the negative effects of climate change relates to the economic success of America, including its most vulnerable citizens. We talk a lot about this at Urban Solutions, and it was articulated extremely well during a recent presentation by President Barack Obama's top budget expert. Source: GreenBiz, 7/15/15

Biodegradable, wood-based computer chips can perform just as well as chips commonly used for wireless communication, according to new research. The inventors argue that the new chips could help address the global problem of rapidly accumulating electronic waste, some of which contains potentially toxic materials. The results also show that a transparent, wood-derived material called nanocellulose paper is an attractive alternative to plastic as a surface for flexible electronics. Source: MIT Technology Review, 7/14/15

A small Costa Mesa, Calif., company has lined up contracts with major corporations to supply the plastic for packaging, containers and chairs from potent methane that would've instead seeped into the atmosphere. Source: FutureStructure, 7/14/15

A temporary fix aimed to save underfunded electronics recycling programs statewide was signed into law last week by Gov. Bruce Rauner, allowing Will County officials to breathe a sigh relief -- for now. Source: Joliet Herald-News, 7/14/15